Commission on Migratory Species adopts a resolution on marine debris while meeting in Ecuador

The Eleventh Meeting of the Conference of the Parties (CoP11) to the Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals (Bonn Convention or CMS) was held in Quito, Ecuador over 4 to 9 November 2014.

Among the many matters discussed were the effects of marine debris on migratory species.  Entanglement with and ingestion (most notably floating plastic items and fragments) of marine debris deleteriously influence seabirds, including ACAP-listed albatrosses, petrels and shearwaters, as has been regularly reported in ACAP Latest News.

Three information papers were considered on the subject of marine debris in support of the resolution.  Report 1 addresses migratory species, marine debris and its management (click here).

A Laysan Albatross corpse containing ingested plastic items, photograph by Chris Jordan

Discussions at CoP11 in Quito, chaired by Barry Baker, CMS Appointed Councillor (By-Catch) from Australia, resulted in the meeting adopting a resolution on marine debris (click here).  The draft text of the resolution, inter alia, calls on Parties “to support the development and application of technology to quantify and track marine debris and establish monitoring programmes that give particular regard, using standardized methodologies, to the prevalence of all the types of debris that may, or are known to, have impacts on migratory species; sources and pathways of these types of debris; geographic distribution of these types of debris; impacts on migratory species, within and between regions; and population level effects on migratory species.”

With thanks to Barry Baker for information.

Reference:

UNEP/CMS Secretariat 2014.  Management of marine debris.  NEP/CMS/COP11/Doc.23.4.6.  26 pp.

John Cooper, ACAP Information Officer, 11 November 2014